Compost dyeing

I recently learned about “compost dyeing” through buying an e-book from Kimberly Baxter Packwood, so though I would give it a go.  I used a piece of old sheeting, quite lightweight and rather worn after constant use.  I made a bundle using a few previously used pieces of pomegranate skin and a few fresh radish slices, a small piece of copper pipe and a bit of fine rusted wire, with elastic bands to hold it together.  I soaked it in vinegar solution and then buried it in the compost heap for a week.

These are two parts of the cloth.  Some areas didn’t take at all, maybe the piece of fabric was too big and maybe more would have happened if I had left the bundle in for longer.  It was not a fresh heap, so there wasn’t any heat there.  I think the results are quite impressive and I look forward to doing some more experiments.  I don’t know what the butterfly shapes are from in the second image,  but I like them!